They say necessity is the mother of invention, and sadly for Japan that means designing products—or improving products—to better withstand the earthquakes plaguing that country. So while elsewhere in the world fridge's with vacuum-sealed drawers catch consumers' attentions, in Japan it's a fridge with doors that automatically lock during an earthquake that will appeal to locals.

In fact, Sharp's updated line of Plasma Cluster refrigerators are actually packed full of wonderful technology. Like intelligent monitoring systems that track when the fridge is used and opened most often so it can optimize its cooling schedule.

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But the biggest selling point will surely be the earthquake detection system that automatically locks the fridge's side-by-side doors. Not only does this prevent food from dumping out onto the floor, it also helps keep everything in place inside so the entire fridge doesn't topple over when its center of gravity drastically changes. And of course it helps prevent food from spoiling in a time where there's a good chance of a power failure.

Pricing details will be revealed closer to December when the fridges are officially available. And hopefully Sharp will make them available to other parts of the world eventually, since the doors also seem like they'd make for the ideal childproof locks. [Sharp via Homecrux]